Union Science and Technology Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh on Friday, 17 July 2026, visited Lakhanpur in Kathua district, Jammu and Kashmir, where he was received by market vendors and traders celebrating the town's inclusion among India's 50 towns to be developed as a 'Street Food Hub'. The minister also announced a series of infrastructure and welfare measures for the region, including a Rs 1.5 crore 'Gateway to Jammu and Kashmir' at the Lakhanpur entry point.

Context

Lakhanpur, situated on NH-44 at the Punjab-Jammu border, is the principal highway entry point into Jammu and Kashmir and has long been a stopover destination for highway travellers. The town's street food — particularly its famed Vada — has been a staple for travellers for decades. Dr. Singh described the welcome from local vendors as 'warm' and noted that their popular street food, including the famous 'Vada', had been 'for decades, a favourite cuisine for every Highway traveller during the stop-over here.'

The minister's visit follows Lakhanpur's selection as one of 50 towns across India to be developed as a Street Food Hub, a designation that signals structured investment in vendor infrastructure, hygiene, and branding at identified food destinations.

Policy Backdrop

Dr. Singh credited the PM SVANidhi scheme — the Pradhan Mantri Street Vendor's AtmaNirbhar Nidhi, launched in June 2020 — as the foundational policy shift behind the current welfare push for street vendors. The scheme provides collateral-free working capital loans to street vendors and was originally introduced to support those affected by the pandemic. 'For the first time since independence, welfare of street food vendors has been prioritised by the Narendra Modi government by initiating PM SVANidhi scheme,' the minister stated, adding that Lakhanpur street vendors are among its early beneficiaries.

The Street Food Hub initiative builds on this base, moving from credit access to physical infrastructure upgrades at high-footfall locations across the country.

Announcements and Infrastructure

Beyond the Street Food Hub, Dr. Singh announced the construction of a Rs 1.5 crore 'Gateway to Jammu and Kashmir' at the Lakhanpur entry point, with a 'substantial part' of the amount to be drawn from his Member of Parliament Local Area Development (MPLAD) fund. He also announced Rs 30 lakh from his MP fund for a Yatra Niwas (pilgrim rest house) near the Sukrala Mata shrine in Billawar, and another Rs 30 lakh from the same fund for a structure near the Jodhawali shrine in Bani. These allocations reflect the use of MPLADS funding to support pilgrim infrastructure at religious sites in the Udhampur constituency, which Dr. Singh represents in Parliament.

The minister also stated that work on the long-pending Ujh Multipurpose Project — stalled for 'nearly 100 years' — would begin soon. This announcement comes shortly after the Shahpur Kandi Project on the Ravi river became functional following its revival after 40 years. Both projects are significant for irrigation, hydropower, and flood control in the Jammu region.

What's Next

The physical rollout of Street Food Hub infrastructure in Lakhanpur and the remaining 49 identified towns will be a key marker of the initiative's progress. Construction timelines for the 'Gateway to Jammu and Kashmir' monument and the commencement of the Ujh Multipurpose Project will be closely watched by residents of Kathua district and the broader Jammu region. If the Ujh project does indeed break ground, it would mark a historic turning point for a scheme that has remained on paper for the better part of a century, following the momentum already demonstrated by the Shahpur Kandi Project's completion.